Familial Foes
by RaaJen
Summary: It's not everyday your world is turned upside down, but that's exactly what happened to sixteen year old Sapphire. Having uncovered a secret that could affect the future, two opposing sides call for her unwavering loyalties. Left to figure out who she truly is, can Sapphire pull through in time to spell out the fate of two different worlds? An 'Enemies to Family' rewrite!
1. Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Winx Club or Rick Riordan's work - I only dabble with their worlds and characters.**

* * *

 ___ _ **Earth**_

 _This land was once a place of great magic, but due to an earlier war it has since been eradicated. No traces of the fairies and mythical creatures that once roamed the great planet have been found. All residual magic seems to have faded, leaving many to consider the protectors deceased and the humans left to their own devices. However, it has been proven that many ancient beings exist in this realm having formed from the various religions across the world. Most are benign and do not dally in the affairs of our dimension, though it is still recommended to exercise caution if one ever travels to this desolate planet. There are too many separate lands for only one ruling family to govern this planet, though the royal family located in the United Kingdom hold a great deal of sway across the land._

 ___ _ **Istea**_

 _A planet of freezing cold positioned just next door to the infamous Omega Dimension. Its inhabitants are a good deal warmer than the temperatures outside and always welcome outsiders visiting. A consequence of being located near the intergalactic prison is the magic dampening properties also affect its inhabitants. This has left the planet with fewer people capable of wielding magic like other locations, barring Earth, though it is still very much alive and thriving. Residents of this planet have taken up old fashioned weapons to protect themselves from outside threats, notably criminals that attempt escape through their realm. One would be mistaken to dismiss them due to a lack of magical strength, for the inhabitants have clearly displayed their might through various conflicts throughout history. The current ruling family consists of King Sorren, Queen Lyn, and their two daughters, Princesses Sapphire and Elise._

Sapphire paused in her readings, her head tilting to the side as her brows furrowed in confusion. There was no mention of the war plaguing the lands, or the Greek Gods who had started the entire mess. It was possible that the book was outdated, which would explain the missing information. Her fingers slipped to the side, grasping the bookmark she had there to slip between the pages before shutting it with a slam. It would be a question for another day, she could hear her parents calling in the distance for her.

She paused long enough to pick up her thick coat, slipping it over her narrow shoulders and fumbling with the buttons as she ran. Today was an exciting day, the first time she was venturing to The Weeping Expanse, a patch of uninhabited land to the far south. Her books had claimed there was an actual river that wasn't frozen over there, and Sapphire couldn't wait to set her eyes on it. Naturally running water simply didn't exist on Istea, the climate being much too cold to cater for such a thing.

"Sapphire, there you are," a relieved voice called out, causing her to look up from her run. She skidded to a stop before her parents with a wide grin. It was always an achievement when she managed to stop in time instead of careening into them or someone else. The young girl was prone to letting her emotions affect her, and this time excitement was the cause behind it. Still, she managed to remain stationary long enough for her mother to fasten her coat properly.

"Are we going? Are we?" she asked excitedly, bouncing on the spot as her startling blue eyes looked at both her parents. Her mother had fiery hair that cascaded down her back, while her father sported a light brown. They were both so different to her own black tresses, but they claimed the colour came from her late grandfather. Sapphire didn't question it. "I want to see the river!"

"Yes, Sapphire, we are," her father chuckled, stilling her with a heavy hand. She looked a little sheepish. He continued though, locking his amber gaze with her own in a show of seriousness. "You need to stay with an adult at all times, okay? If you get lost, find one of our warriors and they'll escort you back to us. Do you understand?"

"Yes father," she smiled up at her parents, latching onto their hands as she started bouncing again. "Can we go now?"

 **[[I don't want a line break here. I want a brief time skip. Silly website.]]**

Sapphire now understood why her parents had been so worried, regardless of how carefully they hid it. The Weeping Expanse had been a lot more crowded then she had been led to believe, which was soon explained. It turns out the war was being fought on Istea's soil. She still didn't understand why, and at eight years old she didn't really care for the reasoning. Instead she found herself frightened of the tense atmosphere, a hearty dose of determination from a small group drinking outside a tent and sheer pain inside another. She recognised faces from the training grounds by the palace, some covered in sweat and others splattered with blood. Before then she hadn't really considered the war as dangerous, just a nuisance. Reality was a lot to take in.

"Sapphire, can you stay here with Reuben?" Her mother asked, gesturing to the warrior accompanying them. She gave a small nod, stepping closer to the armour clad man to reassure her parents. "We'll be back soon."

Her blue eyes turned to her current watcher, brows furrowing as she took in his stoic face. He looked so serious, but somewhat unfocused. His eyes were looking back at the tent they had just left, the injured people laying on bunks as other people walked among them. This was her chance to dart off and find the river. That was the main reason she wanted to tag along. This chaos was not wanted. She needed to get away from it.

So she did, slipping among a crowd of warriors that happened down the rough path moments later. She hid among them long enough to leave Reuben's sight. Then did she slip out again, following from a distance as she overheard one of the men in charge mention the river. A smile lit up Sapphire's face, not believing her luck as she ran after them excitedly. Her sole focus on the group meant she never paid attention to the growing clamour, or the taller bodies she now ran among in her desire to see the river. Only when she lost the group among everyone else did she slow down and take note of her new surroundings.

Her sudden awareness of the situation didn't last long, or the fear that consumed her. A burning across the length of her back sent her tumbling to the hard dirt. She cried out, reaching behind her to see what hit her. Her hand came back into focus covered in red liquid. This time she screamed. That was blood. That was her blood. A foot knocking the side of her head had her blinking furiously in an attempt to disperse the growing blackness. Instead her eyes slipped shut on that battlefield.

Everything changed the moment Sapphire opened her eyes again.

* * *

Seven years ago an excitable, naïve eight year old wandered from her watcher to find a single river. Seven years ago that same eight year old was hurt, her back torn open with one wild swing of a sword. Most would have thought it would scare the child off, instead it drove her to new heights.

Seven years ago Elise lost her big sister, though she never understood why. The only time Sapphire interacted with her now was to drag her back inside, scolding all the way for distracting her. That was if she could even be bothered to escort her herself. A now twelve year old girl had finally grown frustrated enough to approach her parents and asked one vital question.

Why.

That was when she heard the story. An excitable eight year old slipping off, chasing after a group of their warriors towards the only running river on Istea. She was told of how her sister had been carried back to them, covered in blood with her back gaping open. The desperation as her mother tried to save her sister, a couple of medics joining in with their own healing. She learned how they had to stitch the wound shut when magic wouldn't close it. She saw the way her father fought back tears as he told the story, holding her mother close in support. It turns out Sapphire hadn't woken up for an entire week, and when she did she wasn't the same naïve girl as before. The elder girl remembered it all, and carried the scar so she would never forget.

Elise finally knew what happened to her big sister. It was horrifying. It was enlightening. She hated it.

She hated it all the more when her parents revealed how the elder princess always joined them when they went to The Weeping Expanse. They told her of how Sapphire would slip away while they went about their duties, always returning scratched up and covered in more blood. They talked of how scared they were, that they were losing their eldest daughter to a war she shouldn't be in. It explained so much, particularly the reason to her big sister drawing away and being so protective. And Elise understood. She hated that all the more.

Her parents continued though, enlightening the twelve year old as to why there was even a war in the first place. It all fell on the shoulders of the Zeus, King of the skies and ruler over the Greek Gods. He was the one who had invited her mother to visit to renew a treaty between the magic dimension and them. Except something went wrong, details that her parents refused to mention. But her mother returned after numerous months, and Sapphire came along not long afterwards. Zeus was after Sapphire. Elise didn't know why he wanted her sister. What she did know was that the warriors of Istea were fighting to protect their princess, the same princess who threw herself into battle alongside them with raging determination. And that scared her more than she wanted to admit. Already her sister had pulled away, but to lose her forever was inconceivable.

The same determination that drove Sapphire filled Elise. She would bring her big sister back to them and keep her safe, no matter the cost. The only issue is that she forgot one little detail.

Sapphire had left the day before to attend Alfea College. Her big sister was gone.

* * *

 **Welcome to the rewrite of** Enemies to Family **.** **I don't have much to say, just a few points really.**

 **_ The main Author Notes will now take place at the end of the chapter. I prefer how it looks and it means you can all launch into the real reason why we're here - reading fanfiction.**

 **_ Exception to the above will be the disclaimer - that really belongs at the very top**

 **_ Updates will come more regularly than my first horrendous attempt, but do not expect a schedule. I don't have a lot of time for writing, so I'll fit it in where I can. Sorry.**

 **_ I'm Australian, so therefore I don't use American spellings or measurement system or any of that. Sorry. I'll try to remember to include conversions if needed. It also means I use the DD/MM/YYYY format as that is what I know. Just a heads up.**

 **_Often you guys have amazing ideas, so I might just take suggestions if you offer them. With you're permission I'll store them for potential use in this story or another.**

 **_ I like feedback. If you see an error, please let me know and I'll fix it. If you have questions, ask and I'll answer. I like interacting with everyone so please let me.**

 **And that about sums everything up. Welcome to Familial Foes, and I hope you enjoy your stay.**

Published :: 11 Jan, 2018.  
Word Count :: 1768

 **RaaJen.**


	2. Troubles

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Winx Club or Rick Riordan's work - I only dabble with their worlds and characters.**

* * *

Sapphire paused just before the entrance to her new dormitory, her left hand twisted behind her back so her fingers could ghost over the scar. It had been seven years since the day her eyes were opened, seven long years full of pushing her body beyond its physical limits. And now she was just shy of sixteen years and ready to push herself all over again, this time with a focus on magic. Hopefully it wouldn't be too hard, one of her books had stated that the physical state often impacted and strengthened the magical. The book was right, for two weeks in she had been decreed too advanced for the first year of study and was bumped up, with the condition of extra lessons on the weekend to brush up on theoretical knowledge.

Her hand fell away from the scar, a shake of her head sending the painful memory back where it belonged. Now was not the time, she had new dorm mates to meet and new classes to prepare for. The only reason she was even attending Alfea was to better help her realm in its war. That was the end goal, something she had been steadily working on with training. So far she had made an impact, or at least she believed she had. The captain often parroted that one extra sword made a difference. Going off that, one extra sword and a good deal more magical power should have a greater impact. A double threat, that's what she would be.

Again she shook her head, throwing open the doors before she slipped back into darker thoughts. The noise that had been bubbling away on the other side fell silent, six girls eyeing her from their scattered positions around the common area. She didn't know these girls, but she did recognise them. Upon looking again, Sapphire did know two of the girls. The blonde was Stella of Solaria, and the dark skinned girl with wild tresses was Aisha from Andros, heirs to their respective kingdoms. More than that, they were her old childhood friends.

"You must be our new roomie," the girl with pigtails spoke up, headphones slung around her neck carelessly as she leaned back into her beanbag. "Welcome. I'm Musa."

"Sapphire," she answered in kind, stepping further into the common area. "Which room am I in?"

"I'm Aisha and you're with me," Aisha answered, gesturing towards the far door. Sapphire nodded in thanks, not at all minding that her old friend didn't recognise her. It had been seven years, almost eight, since she spent time with either girl. Still, understanding didn't stop the momentary twinge of disappointment as she placed her belongings in her new room.

Upon return she was introduced to the remaining girls she didn't recognise, as well as Stella. There was Bloom with her red hair, Tecna was the one engrossed in her computer with pink hair, and Flora was the brunette watering some plants. They were the Winx Club, a group of fairies slowly gaining fame across the magic dimension after saving Magix the previous year. Sapphire had heard about it from Elise one night, her younger sister enamoured with the fairies before her and what they had down. At the time she didn't show any sign of interest, but in all honesty these girls impressed her. They had achieved what she was aiming to do for Istea, admittedly they had been in a battle caused primarily fought by magic.

Instead of lingering on the nuances between their battle and her own, Sapphire found herself seated among the other girls. That evening was spent getting acquainted with them all, and withholding the desire to roll her eyes as both Stella and Aisha remembered. While her face remained rather emotionless as hours passed, it's not to say she didn't have fun that first day with her new dorm mates. Her training had simply kicked in, the need to keep them guessing and anything that could be a weakness secret.

 **[[I don't want a line break here. I want a brief time skip. Silly website.]]**

Time seemed to pass quickly around Alfea, or more accurately, around the Winx Club. The group of girls had become her friends, even if she didn't ever admit it aloud. They looked out for her, and she in turn watched out for them. It wouldn't do for the information to get back to the Greek Gods and their demigod offspring. Sapphire would be devastated if any of the girls were used against her, just as she would if they ever got her little sister. For that reason alone she was so very careful to keep some distance between herself and the Winx. The same distance that now lay between her and little Elise.

Right then, a month and a half into term, the now sixteen year old was walking across the grounds with her friends. They had just left potionology class, one that Flora and Tecna both seemed to excel in. Oh the other hand, Sapphire seemed to provide the in class entertainment. How she had managed to create fireworks out of a simple health potion was a mystery to the girls and Professor Palladium, and the reason for early dismissal.

"So was that planned, Sapphire?" Bloom question, the blue eyes on the red head were clearer than her own, more cyan. Five more pairs also turned her way, each awaiting an answer. Sapphire swallowed, the fingers of her right hand brushing against the charm bracelet on her left wrist.

"No," Sapphire paused mid step, her brows furrowing as she hugged the textbooks a bit closer to her chest. When they wanted to be, the Winx Club was mighty intimidating. "I don't know what happened. I just put in a little burst of magic like the instructions said!"

"Oh sweetie, you misread them," Flora piped up, falling back alongside her and Bloom as the others continued towards their next class. "You were meant to infuse your magic with the driftia petal to increase its healing attributes. I'll show you later, okay?"

"Oh, thanks Flora," Sapphire mumbled, unable to hide the blush colouring her cheeks. The two girls on either side laughed, Bloom slinging an arm across her shoulder. The youngest in the group looked up at the other two, seeing they weren't at all upset at her error, again. It happened almost every potionology class and everyone had grown used to it. For someone like her who had received training and knew how important coordination and focus was, it was embarrassing to constantly fail in one class where they were so important.

"C'mon, Fye, we've got Professor DuFour next. You know what she's like about punctuality," Bloom stated, dragging her along with Flora a step behind. Sapphire squirmed in the red head's grip, trying to loosen the hold without actually injuring her friend.

It took a few moments for the dark haired girl to slip free, and even then it was only possible due to screams and roars echoing across the grounds. The three girls all froze for a second, turning as one to face the direction they had just come from. Girls were running from the building, a few older years standing watch over the exit and covering the escape. Sapphire glanced towards both Bloom and Flora, all sharing a nod before sprinting back into the building.

It was Bloom who saw the beast first, if only because her longer legs allowed her to skid around the corner before the other two could. Her gasp said enough, their own accompanying it seconds later. The creature filled the entire corridor, its shaggy behind on full view to their disgust. Unfortunately the sight didn't get much better when it turned around. The fur covering it was coarse and matted, two curved horns protruding from its massive head. The beast stood as if human, though its cloven hooves spoke otherwise. Its face almost reminded her of a bull, but no bull she knew of had human arms.

"So, think we'll get out of detention 'cause of this?" Bloom asked weakly, her hair seeming to move of its own accord.

"I don't care, I just want to know what it is" Sapphire replied, already reaching for her charm bracelet as she took a steadying breath.

"A minotaur," Flora answered, green flecks of magic already coming to her fingertips. "It first came into existence in the time of the Greek Gods and has since spread across the magic dimension."

The blood rushed out of Sapphire's face at the information, her body turning as her back come in contact with the wall. She waved a hand, dismissing the worried calls of Bloom and Flora. The minotaur was likely only here because of her presence. Istea was the only known realm currently in conflict with the Greek Gods, and therefore the only explanation to the beast being so far from its natural home. Somehow her enemies had discovered she had left the protection of her kingdom and its warriors. The new target was Alfea, her school. That was not okay in her books.

"Move, Fye!"

She tilted her head towards the beast, her eyes widening at the fist coming towards her. She threw her body towards the carpeted ground, tucking into a roll to come up on the other side of the corridor. Sapphire turned around once more, noticing her two friends had transformed and were flying around the minotaur and throwing magical attacks in an attempt to distract it, or better yet, subdue it. Her fingers once again found the charm bracelet on her left wrist, more specifically a single charm hidden among the rest.

A sword sprung up in her hands, its two tone metal glinting in the light of spell fire. Sapphire had no memory of when she received that charm on her bracelet, or the sword it transformed into. It had just appeared in her hand a few years back when she had been playing with the bracelet. No one had really seen it except the demigods she fought on The Weeping Expanse. It had been her secret, the metal shining a pure silver at the edges, while a darker metal she associated with iron swirled through the middle of the blade. One of a kind, she had never seen the likes of it in the hands of Istea's warriors or the demigods. She alone held such a blade, and she loved it so very dearly.

Her right hand found purchase in the worn leather grip, her muscles tensing for a moment before her training kicked in. Relax the muscles, open the senses, find the rhythm of the battle and control (or worst case, follow) it, and always get back up. Yet the most important aspect to any battle was to expect the unexpected. It didn't matter that she was now on Alfea's grounds, this was still a battle, a branch of the main war really. Now eight years ago to the day she had been caught unawares, blind to what was really going on. That would never happen again, not if she had her way.

All of this lasted only a few seconds. Sapphire had again focused on the minotaur, it's enraged bellow clear to **all** as it swatted at the only two fairies brave enough to get close. Bloom and Flora, the fiery red hair and the green magic of the other a dead giveaway. Her tongue darted out, licking at dry lips, before she joined the fray. She let loose a cry, a challenge to the beast. The sword swung in a sparkling arc, an extension of her arm as she danced among the creature's legs. A small part of her mind noticed the other Winx Club members joining in, their voices a cacophony yelling for her to transform. The same small part of her mind ignored them in favour of rolling between the overly large legs to stare at its back.

Sapphire had only annoyed it further, the magic of her friends increasing its ire. The beast managed to turn around, beady eyes focussing on her with the sword. She was the real threat, the spell fire didn't seem to be causing much damage no matter how they all tried. So the teen took the most expected route, sword slashing across its knees before darting further down the corridor and out of reach. As long as the minotaur remained within the school corridors she held the advantage, able to dart about while it's much larger frame struggled. All she had to do was not get caught while preventing it from reaching the main doors outside. And as soon as it was tired enough she could swoop in for the kill. Easy.

Sapphire was not at all surprised when reality laughed in her face again, nothing ever came easy.

* * *

 **I'm back with chapter two. Hope it isn't too disappointing. I'm not exactly happy with my own writing, but I never really am these days. I am, however, happier with how it reads compared to the original. Not perfect, but better. I have a few notes again, apologies for that.**

 **_ First on the agenda: A HUGE shout out to** ChimaTigon **who must have liked it enough to both favourite and follow! I love you! Not going to lie, opening my email to see this made my day. Thank you.**

 **_ Again, don't expect regular updates. If I have chapters sitting there ready I will post them a week after the previous - just as I have with this one and will likely do the next. Of course, being on holidays helps with that right now.**

 **_ Please do get in touch. I like constructive feedback. I appreciate mistakes being pointed out. Only my eyes see the writing until it is released on here. Please help me improve.**

 **And that's it for today, or rather tonight as midnight has recently passed. Again, enjoy your stay.**

Published :: 18 Jan, 2018

Word Count :: 2130

 **RaaJen.**


	3. Newcomers

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Winx Club or Rick Riordan's work - I only dabble with their worlds and characters.**

* * *

The earlier screams were widespread now. Girls ran for cover and magic rained upon the open grounds. Terror was palpable, consuming, and thankfully all too familiar to truly unsettle the teenage warrior fairy. Sapphire stood staring out from the new opening, her brows furrowing in annoyance. Her simple plan had gone awry almost immediately, and now the only advantage they had lay in numbers. With magic hardly affecting the beast, it wasn't looking promising.

Chunks of concrete lay scattered on the ground around her from where they fell. Some of the smaller debris had hit her, scattering her exposed skin with little cuts while her clothing did nothing to protect her from bruises. Her blue eyes took it all in, from the dust coating her body to the flashes echoing around the campus. Her hand shifted, adjusting her grip on the worn leathered hilt of her sword. A deep breath, then a spluttered cough as she inhaled particles of concrete dust. Though it didn't stop her, heeled shoes flying off her feet for better stability as she bounded back into the fray.

It was almost like dancing. Sapphire weaved through the spell fire, ducking and jumping as she twisted out of the way. The sword was an extension of her arm, adding her own light to that of the different colours shimmering through the air. Once or twice she used it to reflect a bolt of magic before it hit her. She was far from perfect though, often grazing along the magic as she tried to avoid a direct hit. Sone of the spells were benign, while others were less so.

"Bloom, watch it!" Sapphire cried, wincing as she felt her skin blister as the fireball passed by her. She took a deep breath, enough to steady herself again.

"Sorry Fye!"

She waved the apology off, darting across the remaining space between herself and the minotaur. It didn't recognise her presence immediately, allowing Sapphire the chance to slash at its knees once again. She ducked and rolled, coming up on the other side to repeat the action. Liquid ran out of the inflicted wounds, not the red of blood that she had expected, but more of a golden colour that shimmered on her sword before dissolving into dust at the next swing. This time her target was its back, only to clip the side as it turned with a mighty roar.

Sapphire swallowed again, her mouth going dry as one fist grabbed her, lifting her from the ground. Her sword fell from her grip, clattering against the hard ground. The noise rang in her ears, fear filling her eyes. Much needed oxygen was stolen from her lungs, unable to gulp it in as the oversized hand holding her tightened. A strangled cry crept past her throat, a tortured plea for help.

Lightning rained from the heavens, mixing with the magic of the Winx Club and the few other students remaining outside. Sapphire squeezed her eyes shut, the flashes only muted through her eyelids but no less intense. More magic grazed against her, another blistering burn, a blasting concussion of sound and the distinct smell of ozone. The various attacks not only brushed against her, but it startled the minotaur. Another bellowing roar echoed around the grounds, this time in her ear. A few seconds later and she found herself flying through the air, arms tucking around her head.

One of the lightning bolts hit her mid-air. She didn't scream, rather letting out a shaky laugh. Magic fizzled around her body, the smell of ozone lingering before being washed away with a crisp breeze. She could feel her clothes melting away, something that would normally bring her distress only left a feeling of excitement. New fabric replaced the old, lighter and softer in texture, even as the magic condensed between her shoulder blades before fading away. It took a moment longer to notice that the same magic had twisted her braided hair up into a bun, and the addition of weight atop her head.

Sapphire blinked her eyes open again, taking a deep breath as she came to hover just above the ground. A new experience, her fairy form finally unlocked in the face of personal danger. It was exhilarating, her own magic so tangible compared to normal. The power, the magic sparking at her fingertips, was humbling as it rushed through her limbs. Could it be possible that the Greek Gods, her enemies, had a similar reaction to their own power? As unlikely as it was, a part of her hoped they had.

Her eyes took in a quick assessment of her new form. The style was distinctively Greek, a pale blue chiton that fell to her thighs; that is if she identified it correctly. The excess fabric was draped across her left shoulder, cascading down her back in place of the hair that usually did so. A slate grey band cinched the fabric at her waist, the same metal found in a decorative band across her right upper arm and wrist. For some reason her charm bracelet was still located on her left wrist and hadn't faded away. Her shoes, from what she could tell, were sandals of the same colour except for the single pale blue ribbon that intertwined with the grey.

"Looking good, Fye!" Tecna called out as she zoomed past. Sapphire shook her head, watching as the technology fairy ensnared the minotaur in a magical web, strengthened by Flora's vines. Neither attack lasted long before the beast broke through.

Sapphire zoomed towards the beast, or rather the sword she had dropped on the ground. Her weapon had been doing some damage before, a lot more than the magic that had been tossed its way. As her vision narrowed on her goal, she was blind to the surroundings. Instead she sensed the magic coming her way, the shifting of wind currents and the fizzling of latent magic in the air. What she didn't sense was the charging minotaur. By the time she had noticed the incoming danger it was too late. Her sword lay forgotten as one of the curved horns caught her left side and tore through the skin.

The sound didn't come from her. Instead it came from all around, raising the hair on her arms. The only sign she even gave of the pain was a grimace, hand clamped tight to her oozing side. The wound stung, burned really, there was no denying it, but it wasn't crippling. The scream echoing across the grounds however, was. It was debilitating, sending Sapphire to the ground more than anything. Her blue eyes darted around, widening in surprise as she saw Stella with her mouth wide open. She hadn't expected her blonde friend to have such a disorienting cry, but it was working. Both herself and the minotaur were affected by the shrill sound.

Silence. It was deafening after her friend's scream. Coming from nowhere, the world seemingly deciding to hold its breath as one. She didn't dare move, to consider breaking it felt disastrous in that moment.

And it shattered.

The guttural roar was far from the delicate end she had thought would come. The foot stomping on her body before she could escape only compounded the pains from her earlier squeezing, let alone the more recent injury. This time it was Sapphire who screamed out, eyes squeezing shut as she tried to imagine herself anywhere but her current location. Istea came to mind, her home with constant snowfalls and the cracking of ice when an old tree below her room toppled over. She swallowed, the cracking not only in her mind as the pressure on her body increased.

Her eyes flew open again, electricity sparking along her fingertips as she pulled magic from around her. The flashes danced further up her limbs, unpredictable as the smell of ozone increased before a large bolt of lightning flew towards her again.

And then nothing.

She wasn't exactly sure what happened. The weight had disappeared a few seconds after the strike hit the minotaur. The volts passed through her harmlessly as they travelled from the beast and into the ground. She could guarantee it wasn't her lightning that caused the weight to disappear, though the smell of singed fur was prominent, for it didn't explode like she had expected. Rather, the creature fell upon her in a shower of golden dust, intermingling with the concrete remnants from earlier. What didn't cling to her floated away on the gentle breeze, a stark comparison to the rampaging beast that attacked Alfea.

And there, in the midst of the dust, glinted a flash of bronze. It twisted and tumbled, clattering to the ground beside her. When she looked all that lay there was an arrow.

A little thing. She almost dismissed it. Instead she looked again through blurring vision, that bronze gleam all the more prominent without the golden dust to hide among. Sapphire swallowed. She knew that metal, or at least recognised where it came from. She couldn't tell how many times that same metal had wounded her, or how those who wielded it plagued her dreams at night. Greeks.

Gathering her strength, she propped herself up on an arm. She noticed, belatedly of course, that the magic which had earlier surrounded her body had long since dissipated. Her vision spun. Her sword still gleamed on the ground, just out of reach like the useless arrow. She was unprotected, caught off guard and weak. Foolishly Sapphire shook her head in horror, fighting the increasing fuzziness to focus on faces. She had to know what was going on, who it was that didn't belong here.

The Winx Club were the first faces she identified, and even then it was mostly due to seeing six different faces clumped together. Hardly anyone at Alfea was as close as her dorm mates were, her friends. Still, she turned her eyes beyond them, ignoring their insistent voices that sounded as if they were separated by a chasm. Instead she blinked tiredly, falling back as someone supported her trampled frame. She could almost sleep, nestled in the warm arms of Aisha, who was only identifiable by her darker skin.

There. All of a sudden she narrowed on the faces of two boys. Boys didn't attend Alfea, and they weren't dressed in the blue uniform of Red Fountain. Instead they were polar opposites, one radiating darkness while the other was bathed in light. Sapphire wanted to get up. She wanted to pick up her sword and face them, to demand answers. She wanted to zap them both with a bolt of lightning and call the winds down upon them. She wanted to assure her own safety and that of her friends.

Instead she slumped over. The darkness followed. She didn't even have time to register the cries of her friends.

* * *

Will Solace hadn't really wanted to go, he had more important jobs to do elsewhere. His boyfriend however, one Nico di Angelo, had. So he had followed his death boy through the shadows against better judgement and into a world he hadn't even heard of before today. The one interplanetary jump, regardless of being aided by Lord Hades, had the dark haired boy stumbling, relying on him to stay upright. Well, he couldn't really complain about the excuse it gave him to hold Nico. Of course the brief giddiness didn't stop his boyfriend from receiving an earful and some ambrosia shoved down his throat. The medical side of his brain itched to wrap the boy up before he did anything else stupid, preferably in bed where Will could watch over him.

If he was being honest, Will was fiercely protective over the son of Hades. If he continued with that honesty, he wouldn't change it for a moment. Nico needed someone to look out for him after his personal traumas.

Yet something pulled him from his concern, a roar that had the two demigods sharing a glance of horror. The accompanying screams and blasts had them finally turning their attention towards their surroundings. Will's fingers twitched, his blue eyes widening at the sight of fairies. His muscles tensed, the few forays into the field had taught him to be wary of the winged beings. But more pressing than that was the creature that caused the initial noise, something he had only ever seen once during the Battle of Manhattan. The minotaur.

"Will," Nico pointed towards a girl in blue, the female trapped beneath the larger foot of the minotaur.

"I see her," he acknowledged.

His bow came into his hands, stringing it with the ease that came from years of practice. His right hand came up, reaching into his quiver for an arrow. His fingers trailed along the celestial bronze shaft, feeling it nock in place securely. A single breath passed his lips, steadying himself. Then the string was being drawn back, anchored to the corner of his lips as he sighted his aim. He loosed the arrow, watching the metal flex away from his bow before continuing on target. He followed the flight path, not moving from his stance until it was buried in the minotaur and it faded to dust.

It felt as if that single shot took minutes. His brain, like many demigods, had a habit of seemingly slowing time at critical points. Reality was it all took but a few precious seconds.

He turned back to Nico, keeping a careful grip on his bow in case of further surprises. This wasn't exactly how the two had planned it. They were meant to be searching out a special demigod who had no idea of their immortal heritage. They were not meant to have come face to face with the minotaur. Still, they were veterans at this by now, and took the change in stride.

"You owe me at least three days bed rest, di Angelo," Will stated, his lips curling into a smirk. It wasn't the exact wording of that day everything began to change,

"But-"

"No excuses, death boy. It starts as soon as I find a bed for you. Doctor's orders."

The groan and glare from the other boy was answer enough. Will happily ignored it, wrapping a steadying arm around his boyfriend. He would rather carry the smaller boy and let him get more rest, but on a foreign planet it wouldn't be the smartest idea until they were assured of their safety. And honestly, if he held the smaller boy a little closer than necessary, well no one could truly blame him. Doctor's orders and all.

For now, looking around at the unfamiliar sights again, he noticed a large group of girls. They didn't have wings anymore. One of them held his arrow, while a couple of others were helping carry another girl that was clearly unconscious. His brain connected the dots, identifying the limp girl in their arms as the one who had been squashed into the ground. His medical knowledge was screaming at that blatant disregard to the most basic rule all Apollo kids, and by extension all medical professions, knew – don't move the patient.

So he did the logical thing. Dragging his disoriented, grumbling boyfriend along, Will followed them.

* * *

 **Welcome back to chapter three. Two familiar faces have made an appearance, though I'm not too sure if I'm portraying them accurately. Please forgive me if both Will Solace and Nico di Angelo are OOC at all - I'm trying.**

 **_ To my fellow Australian's :: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY.**

_ **While I love everyone who views my work,** ChimaTigon **has continued to go that extra mile. Thank you.**

_ **I've started work on the next chapter, but I'm not exactly liking how it's turning out so far. You might be waiting a little longer for it, sorry. But then, I never claimed I'd update regularly - it's just happening as such so far.  
**

 **_ Again, I like reviews and interacting with everyone. Ask questions, point out mistakes, offer suggestions, give feedback. Please. I want to improve, to hear that you are enjoying it. But I won't bribe you for them, I'll still update.**

Published :: 26 Jan, 2018

Word Count :: 2542

 **RaaJen.**


	4. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own either Winx Club or Rick Riordan's work - I only dabble with their worlds and characters.**

* * *

The dull throbbing of her side was the first sign that something wasn't right. An aching that continued up her torso and around her back only furthered the first assumption. A heavy weight rested over her body, pinning her limbs to something that was deceptively comfortable. The only taste lingering in her mouth was a dryness that simply didn't belong, and the faintest hint of something more abhorrent than she could identify.

A second passed, seemingly forever in the darkness that still consumed her. Her senses, one by one, were awakening again. Why they had to in the first place remained unknown, her mind unable to find the answers she sought. The indistinct noise bubbling away somewhere nearby was far from helping, voices climbing over one another in what the owners probably considered to be a whisper. It was far from it if the way her head throbbed in time to the noise said anything.

Her sight returned moments after she identified a sickly smell in the air, almost like disinfectant that sent the hairs along the back of her neck prickling. The moment her eyes squinted open to be assaulted with a wave of bright light seemed too big of a coincidence. Her breath hitched, fingers twitching in a barely concealed show of panic. The noise stopped all so suddenly, as overwhelming as the light that blinded her when her eyes peeked open again.

"Sapphire?"

Elise. Her ginger hair shining in the light as her wide amber eyes peered down at her. Young and innocent, a wide smile that warmed the heart of all. But it wasn't. The girl that hovered above her was older and had teal eyes and pink hair. Elise's presence was just a memory her mind had conjured. An image erased with watering eyes and desperate blinking.

"T-Tecna?" She swallowed heavily, trying to alleviate the dryness afflicting her mouth and throat. "Wh-what-"

"Alfea was attacked," a frown marred the face of the techno fairy, "do you not remember?"

Sapphire did, those words bringing images flashing before her eyes. The minotaur cramped in the corridor before escaping outside. The terror running through the school. Her sword in hand, a deadly extension of her arm. Magic fizzling past her, a constant danger, and then coursing through her. Her wings. Trapped under its hoof, unable to escape as she stared up in fear. Golden dust, a bronze arrow. Two strangers, dark and light.

She gasped, forcing her body into an upright position.

"Woah, you shouldn't be getting up yet!" Tecna cried, the other girls hands pushing against her shoulders.

"I-I have to," Sapphire shook her head and groaned. Her hands fumbled, ripping at the blankets that had trapped her moments before. "Not s-safe…"

"You're not making any sense, Fye. Just lie back down, I'll go get Nurse Ofelia," Tecna smiled in a reassuring manner, finally getting her shoulders back against the mattress.

Sapphire watched as her friend turned towards the office. She waited a second before pushing her aching body upright again, closing her eyes for a moment to fight off a brief bout of vertigo. Her legs swung around next, over the side until her bare feet landed lightly on the tiled floor. A shiver ran up her spine, the cold seeping into her bones. She bit her tongue to muffle a cry, her entire weight now on her feet. Her side flared with a piercing burn, left hand pressing against it. A deep breath, identifying the rough texture of bandages beneath her fingers.

She pushed passed it, taking an unsteady step away from the bed she had just occupied. Her eyes darted around, the blue landing on a calendar against the wall. It read Friday, but her memories screamed that it was only Tuesday. Three days. Another step, hand still clamped to her side as if it would help. Voices seeped through from the other side of the door, an echoing clamour of classes just letting out. A perfect time to escape, the chance to hide among a crowd. Step three, quickly followed by four and five before breaking into a run. The doors keeping her confined had flown open with a large gust of wind.

Sapphire didn't stop as she darted into the corridor. She passed other students, people she had classes with and those she didn't. Some professors were around as well. Their faces flashed by her, the breeze from her run causing the gown she was in to billow behind her. There, five girls she knew above all the others, looking at her in shock. She skidded around a corner, heart pumping in her race to simply escape their reach. Another few steps, head turned over her shoulder to reassure herself that they hadn't followed her.

One second of distraction too long was all it took. She ran straight into someone, unfamiliar arms catching her before she could tumble to the ground. She swallowed nervously, eyes darting upwards. Two males, a blonde who she had run into, and a shorter one with black hair. Her eyes widened, stumbling back as magic sparked at her fingertips. Dark and light. Opposites side by side. The strangers, the blonde with a bow and quiver had obviously been one to shoot the arrow, for the darker one held an even darker sword at his hip.

"You won't take me! I won't let you!" Wind whipped around them with her cry, pushing the two back as the sparks of electricity jumped between her fingers.

"Woah, slow down there. We haven't done anything," the blonde cried, his hands rising above his head. The other boy with black hair rested his hand on his sword, fingers curling around the pommel warningly.

"You haven't done anything?" Her voice rose, incredulity colouring her expression at their confusion. "You attacked us, you and your kin! Well you won't fool me, demigod scum, you won't!"

The two shared a look at her words. The lightning she had kept to her fingers flew towards them as she pushed pass. She continued along the corridor, ignoring the cries of the strangers as they mixed with those of her friends. Sapphire pushed herself harder, desperate to get away and find a small area she could secure. Around another corner, followed by another as she took a lesser used corridor to double back without them seeing her. They would stop her, both groups for their own reasons.

Another door stood in the way. The wind blew up around her and pushed it open as she neared again. A leap, from the carpeted surface onto the grass outside. The fresh air filled her lungs, some of the tension fading away. Her feet carried her away from the path, towards the wall surrounding Alfea. A garden was nearby, the plants dense enough for her to hide among their shadows and greenery. Sapphire dove towards them, disturbing some of the woodchips surrounding it before she settled.

Her back rested against the wall, curling deeper into the darkness. While not as secure as she wanted, it was a place to allow her a respite. A chance to catch her breath and still the tremors in her limbs. The opportunity to look over her own wounds in a place infinitely more welcoming than an infirmary. It was also a place that gave her an acceptable view of her surrounds while protecting her back. She'd be able to spot any potential threats, friend or foe, before they approached.

 **[[I don't want a line break here. I want a brief time skip. Silly website.]]**

Sapphire had remained still as fellow students passed by her hiding place. The calls of her friends as they searched, even the odd professor who had time to spare. Yet the teen did not respond. Admittedly, she had only just woken up from a brief nap in the shade. The star spotted sky peeking through her leafy retreat had been a surprise. Maybe, and it was only a maybe, the minotaur had taken more from her than first thought. Regardless she would not go back. One extended stint in the infirmary back home had been enough to turn her away from such locations forever.

She shifted, stretching out her cramped limbs from their curled position. Each muscle awakening again with a twinge as blood circulated, progressing into pins and needles. It would pass soon, she knew, but it didn't stop the wince as feeling returned. Her side was on fire, her chest tight. The injuries. She'd forgotten about them, a consequence of falling asleep so readily. Sapphire paid for that mistake now, her fingers curling into the woodchips and dirt for stability. Her limbs were throbbing in the exact pattern of the ache in her head – unpleasant and disorienting at best.

"Okay Fye," she murmured, pushing her body upwards. "Should probably get back to the dorm. Show your face. Prove you are still alive. And you're not crazy so stop talking to yourself."

She began to crawl back through the foliage, gasping as a stray branch grazed her tender side. Getting here was easy, adrenaline and panic blinding her more logical thought processes. Getting back out was not as pleasant. Who knew plants could be so painful? Flora, who had nature powers, was so very sweet. Seems the magic host does not always accurately represent the truth. That, or Flora just had power over the nicer aspects of nature, which wouldn't be all that surprising.

It only took a few minutes to end up back inside the building. Her footsteps echoed through now empty corridors, arms wrapping around her torso. Alfea seemed lifeless in the moonlight, cold and desolate. Almost like Cloud Tower with its darker atmosphere. Or even The Weeping Expanse back on Istea. A hostile like environment. It sure didn't feel like the same school she attended classes in throughout the sunlight hours.

That thought had Sapphire speeding up, a shiver running along her spine.

The echoing sounds faded away as she threw open the doors before her. A warm light washed across her body, chasing the shadows back into their dark recesses. Her mind flashed back to the first time she stood in the open doorway, the cautionary looks that had been sent her way. A lot had changed in that month. Most noticeably with how they now crowded around her instead of remaining seated.

Voices overlapped one another as hands reached out. She was tugged forwards, pushed against the couch none too gently. All Sapphire could do was bite back a laugh, shaking her head at the six girls clamouring about. Aisha and Musa were both poking at her side, examining it critically. Flora had turned to the forgotten teapot, reheating it and making fresh cups for all. Tecna seemed to be lecturing her, or at least the odd words she caught sounded like a lecture for leaving the infirmary. Bloom and Stella were just interrogating her.

She really did laugh watching them all, happily accepting the cup of tea from the nature fairy. A sip to settle herself, the warm liquid erased the lingering cold in her limbs and eased the ache in her muscles. The others slowly backed away, taking up their own positions around the common area while looking at her eagerly. They'd ripped into her for leaving the safe infirmary, so would now be after an explanation. That's how these things usually worked with her parents.

"So, why did you leave?" Tecna finally broke the silence. "That was not a logical decision."

"I hate infirmaries." A simple answer, an unexpected answer if the confusion they displayed said anything. "One extended stay as a child was enough for me. Now I just avoid them, or escape as you saw today."

She shrugged, letting her friends process that. Absently her left hand twisted around to find the raised scar once more, the jolt of pain it send through her injured side ignored. That scar had been her fault, a show of impulsive behaviour and uncontrolled curiosity. The idea of seeing a real river had intrigued her so much then. Well she did see it, admittedly a couple of years after that incident. It did in fact have running water as her books had said, but the water had been tainted red with blood. Her own had joined with that of thousands to follow the river's current, a sign of nature's power marred by war.

"Sapphire?" She was startled from her thoughts with a touch on her arm. She looked across to Aisha, giving her roommate a small smile. "Tecna said you didn't feel safe. Why?"

"Oh, easy. Demigods. They weren't meant to follow me here, it was all meant to remain contained back on Istea. But it hasn't," the cold snap to her voice brightened considerable with her next words, both hands once more wrapping around her cup of tea as she sipped the warm liquid. "Don't worry, if they try to hurt you or anyone else I'll kill them both."

With her mood brightened, even if the note itself was rather sour, the youngest of the group drained the remaining liquid in her cup. Another smile to the shell shocked friends, a twist of her foot as she pranced towards her shared room. The door clicked satisfyingly shut behind her, the remainder of her dorm mates raising their voices as it prompted them to yell after her.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Sapphire!"

Six voices cried her name at once, desperation and confusion, concern and fear echoing through the air and door between them. She paid it no mind, going about her nightly ritual as if nothing was wrong. Those final words she had just uttered had been more than a threat, rather a firm promise. No one would ever hurt those she cared about, not if she had a say in it.

* * *

 **Chapter Four has arrived less than a month later. I really struggled with this chapter - guess it turned out okay. I only rewrote it about ten times, and this was the best that turned out. Therefore this is what you see.**

 **_ This is my last update before univeristy resumes in three days. I don't know when I'll get time to write outside of assignments and class work because my studies are important. Only way I'll ever become a teacher.**

 **_ If you get bored I suggest you check out a new Winx Club fic I put up called** Gem Tones **. This will likely be updated more frequently as the chapters are smaller and easier to work on while I'm studying.**

 **_ There have been 70 views so far. Thank you to everyone who has viewed my rewrite so far. I hope you are enjoying it better than the original (I am - if only because I'm not cursing all my earlier errors! The horror!). However, while you don't have to, a few more reviews would be appreciated. I really want to hear what you are thinking about this. Or you could just say hi. No pressure.**

Published :: 23 Feb, 2018

Word Count :: 2294

 **RaaJen.**


	5. Arrival

**Forgive me.  
**

* * *

The two demigods had been exploring the realm of Magix for a couple of weeks now. They'd learned how to not draw as much attention to themselves, if they discounted the odd girl who had been hurt by the minotaur and had taken to eyeing their every move. They'd even discovered that there were easier ways to do nearly everything with the magic most people used. Surprisingly, Will had found his own healing abilities seemed stronger while Nico found it easier to commune with spirits of the dead. There was even a way to teleport everywhere like the gods did without walking through the shadows and draining Nico. Needless to say, those two weeks had been very informative.

They had also received a message from Zeus, a note appearing before them one evening. It was a clue really, new knowledge that the demigod they were sent to find was of school age. The two already knew the person was on Magix, else the shadow travel would have dropped them elsewhere. So that left three schools to look through; Red Fountain, Cloud Tower and Alfea.

For that reason they had temporarily joined Red Fountain on a trial basis to search out the demigod. Nico had pressed to begin so soon in order to get the task over with quickly. Will didn't really mind, though he was disappointed he couldn't continue finding new ways to further advance his medical skills. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for them to eliminate the heroes in training, a relief to Nico who had quickly had enough of the classes and constant bright environment. Of course, they both agreed that Red Fountain was better than Alfea – not quite as chirpy and overbearingly good.

Still, the two withdrew from the school easily enough and returned to Alfea. Headmistress Faragonda had given them both a room to share while on Magix and was even trying to help with their search. So far the older woman had eliminated most of the students at her school for them. Except for a group of second years, who conveniently included the dark haired girl Will had saved from the minotaur and was then yelled at by three days later. However, Faragonda had organised a field trip to Cloud Tower with the same group of girls and a few other students for a week. And luckily for the both of them, Nico and Will were tagging along to eliminate the remaining students from Alfea and those at Cloud Tower.

And so the two demigods packed their bags for a week-long trip to the school of witches. Officially they were tasked with helping protect the codex – an oval like stone with magical properties that could open another realm when used in conjunction with the other three in the set. Unofficially they were continuing their own mission to find the special demigod Zeus had mentioned when sending them off. Then, finally, Will and Nico could return to Earth and the friends left behind.

* * *

Cloud Tower was as depressing in appearance as she had expected, the students within either openly hostile or keeping a careful distance. It only took a few minutes for Sapphire to realise how out of place the group was inside the school of witches, what with their boldly coloured clothing and bright smiles. The witches eyes seemed to follow their every movement, lighting with glee and scorn equally, whispers shared among one another behind raised hands. It was all too clear that they did not belong at Cloud Tower, something Stella was making all the more obvious as she put on a smile and waved to their observers.

"Maybe you should tone it down," Musa bumped into Stella, Sapphire nodding in agreement. She got along well with the blonde princess, but standing out in this crowd would help no one.

"But they really need to brighten this place," Stella said much too brightly, though her lip curled in disgust as she eyes the dark colour scheme and old furnishings. "Imagine what it would look like with a makeover, and if we brought the interior decorating into this century."

"We're here on exchange," Mirta reminded them. Mirta was one of Sapphire's classmates before she was bumped up a year, and the girl with the red bob cut also used to be a witch. Apparently she still had friends at Cloud Tower, not that they'd been in contact with one another from what everyone saw. "Also, the darker furnishings help keep unwanted people away. Some of it also holds magical properties that help support the school or the magic being cast."

"I'm sure you'll be able to decorate your room as you want while we're here, Stella," Bloom consoled, the red head wrapping an arm around the blonde.

"Yeah, as long as you return it as it was before we leave," Aisha added to laughter.

Sapphire knew that they would be okay then. A week was very little in the grand scheme of things and they would survive it together. It didn't matter that they weren't welcome at Cloud Tower, that they would no doubt struggle with the magic taught here and its darker nature than that they drew upon. And while it bothered her, Sapphire figured she could even bring herself to ignore the two demigods accompanying them all to Cloud Tower so they could complete some mysterious mission. Besides, if they stepped out of line at all it wouldn't bother her to attack then and there – they were dangerous.

"So do we actually have any classes today? Griffin may have announced our presence to the school, but she and those twins weren't exactly forthcoming on details," Musa shrugged, the girl kicking at the stone floors.

"Tomorrow," Tecna said, flicking through her little handheld computer. No doubt she had uploaded the schedule there. "And we're rooming together, though Mirta's in her old room."

"That's fine," Mirta waved as she stepped away from them. "This is your room. I'm off to find and talk to Lucy now. See ya."

"Well, I guess we better get some sleep," Sapphire said as she reached out to open the door to their room. It was bleak, such a difference to those they knew at Alfea, but to her strangely familiar as her mind returned to thoughts of the Weeping Expanse and Istea.

"Yeah," Bloom agreed as she clicked her fingers. Instantly the unlit candles were aflame, a warm glow softening the room and making it appear that little more welcoming. "Who knows what we'll face tomorrow."

"We're in the witches den now," Stella sighed as she went and claimed a bed.

The rest shrugged and followed her example. They definitely weren't in friendly territory anymore. Sapphire could only be grateful those two demigods were on the other side of the school haven been given a room near the staff quarters. At least they wouldn't be able to do anything without being caught. Small victories.

* * *

 **I'm not going to apologise for waiting so long - I always warned you that updates will be irregular and when I have time. I will apologise for sitting on this little chapter for months as I tried to make it longer and more interesting. I'm allowed to have short filler chapters, so I finally decided to just post it as is. I'll try not to be so anxious about it next time.**

 **_I want to quickly thank those who continued to check in on this fic, review, favourite and follow. I promise I hadn't forgotten it, I was just being an anxious person. Next chapter should come a bit sooner, hopefully. I have a vague idea for it already.  
**

 **_On that, I also want to thank those of you coming back to read this little disappointment/filler chapter over a year on. You are amazing.**

Published :: 4 July, 2019

Word Count :: 1153

 **RaaJen.**


	6. Friendships

**So I may have skipped attending the actual classes and straight to the battle... might go back and add the classes later.**

* * *

"Who asked for your input anyway?" Stella roared.

"You're not even a part of the Winx!" Bloom added, the fire fairy more temperamental than normal as she turned her glare on Sapphire.

"You're only rooming with us because we're the only dorm that had the room!" Musa snapped.

"You're not a good friend – you forget us all the time," Aisha added, clearly remembering their childhood friendships.

"What's got into you all?" Sapphire couldn't take a step back in the air, but her wings easily carried her little away as if distance could shield her from their scornful words. "What's wrong?

"What's wrong?" Flora laughed, a touch of hysterical mania to it as she planted her hands firmly on her hips. "What's wrong is you. You don't fit in."

"You never fit in," Tecna said. "Logically seven is too many, you throw us off."

"Why don't you go? Sapphire," Stella spit at her.

"No!" Sapphire yelled back, her hands curling into fists. "I can't go anywhere! You won't scare me off!"

"Fye," Mirta yelled, her voice distant over the raging storm around them. "They're influenced by the witches spell – it turns friends into foes! It's not them talking! They're spelled not to work together."

Sapphire gasped, whirling around to look at the red headed fairy below them. Mirta was helping some witches out from the rubble of the collapsed tower, and thus was unable to join them in the air. The explanation made perfect sense though. Of course it did. It was nearing the end of their week at Cloud Tower, and throughout all of it the witches had been trying to get them. Adult or student, it didn't matter as they worked together to try and land a successful prank or humiliate the fairies.

"Unless they are ganging up on me," Sapphire muttered as she looked back to her roommates. Her eyes darted from them to the broken tower the trio of witches had entered. She couldn't be sure, but she thought those two demigods had entered it after them. It was possible they were working together, but she couldn't find out when she had her friends to deal with. "Look, I'm not the problem here!"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you are!" Stella snapped. "They call me spoiled, but that is nothing on you! You get whatever you want, Sapphire! You even skipped a year, while I had to repeat it!"

"That wasn't my choice!" Sapphire paused, shaking her head as she threw an arm out and pointed to the tower. Unknowingly, the wind listened to her frustration, forcing the other six to look at the broken and collapsing structure. "The Trix are inside there stealing some magical artefact! Don't you think we should worry about that?"

"She might be right," Flora admitted. "What if we crush the tower and injure those witches?"

"Why crush it when we can set it on fire?"

"Trap them!"

"Blind them!"

"I'm not working with you! I'll get them myself!"

"Look at that," a high pitched voice laughed. Sapphire shivered as she looked at the Trix, Icy holding up what they had been looking for with pride. "The pixies are breaking up. So sweet."

"They're too busy fighting each other to fight us," Darcy laughed, the darkness witch clapping delightedly.

"We can beat you whenever we want!" Aisha roared.

Sapphire watched as they all attacked in an uncoordinated mess. Magic went everywhere, voices screaming at one another when spells collided or missed the intended target. Sapphire found herself dodging a soundwave Musa had sent towards her, a frustrated sigh on her lips. They were too weak like this, too different and emotional to actually do anything. It was so different to what she was used to observing, and her usual patience was rapidly fading in light of the situation before them. The raging storm wasn't helping either.

"Look," Sapphire said firmly as she flew into the middle of the group. Her voice had taken on a firm tone, one that demanded attention. "This isn't working alone. You may not like me or each other very much, but we all dislike the Trix. Let's work together to blast them, converge our powers."

"Why should we?" Musa scowled, the music fairy raising her fists as if ready to fight. Sapphire raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the girl.

"Because if we don't they will win!"

"Logically it is our best chance of success," Tecna sighed, seemingly in resignation as a holographic data projection faded from the air before her. Sapphire blinked, wondering how the girl had done that, but deciding not to question it. They were making progress.

Slowly the other girls agreed, each grudgingly forming a semicircle. Sapphire joined in, though clearly they didn't want her there with the distance between her and the rest. Sapphire shook her head, putting it out of her mind. She had to focus, they all did, to channel their magic before them. She yelled this as her hands began to glow a soft blue, encouraging and reminding as they each joined in one by one.

The magic before them grew larger, flickering from a solid blue to a rainbow of colours. It grew stronger as they pooled more of their reserves into it. Sapphire felt her heart jump in excitement. It was working, they were all working together. It had seemed impossible, but now they might do it. They might just get this magical artefact back from the Trix.

"We should blast them!"

"No, trap them!"

"Stop!" Sapphire yelled, panicked as they began to argue on how to release the magic.

She was too late, her voice too soft over the roar of the wind. She yelped as the magic exploded between them. The backlash forced her back, arms raising before her face protectively. It was an instinctive reaction, just as the sword appearing in her hand was as she tugged on her charm bracelet. The weight in her hand was a comfort, something that forced her to take a deep breath and steady herself. It didn't matter that her feet were in the air and not on the ground, she knew how to find her balance and the flow of the battle. A battle that was taking place between her friends and roommates instead of the trio they should be facing. Then there was that demigod duo to be aware of too, even if no one else was, but they would be dealt with in time.

"Stop!" Sapphire yelled again as they all converged on her with arguments and profanities on their tongues. "This time we need to agree on how to use the magic. Let's focus on getting that artefact back from them, okay? That's what we should be doing. After we get it, I'll leave you all alone. Deal?"

"DEAL!"

Sapphire flinched at the agreeing shout that came after her bargaining, but nodded and gestured for them to get back into place. Again magic fizzled into the air, slow but steady as it converged before them. She closed her eyes to the glow this time, it progressing beyond the rainbow to a pure white that was blinding. Unlike last time, Sapphire didn't dare to open her mouth and remind them of what they were to focus on, instead trusting in the broken friendship between the Winx. Who knew a single spell could make life so difficult?

It seemed unanimous, the magic being released without command. Sapphire opened her eyes as it did, watching in delight as the magic connected with the target. She watched as Icy fumbled with their prize, the trio enraged as the magic threw them back away from where she hovered separated but alongside the Winx. Her eyes trailed after the artefact, her body following a second later as she dived for it. Her arm was outstretched, the sword before her as if to catch the stone on her blade. Except it never occurred, the contact she had awaited foiled by a redhead she knew too well colliding with her.

"Mine," Bloom growled as the fire fairy knocked her off course.

Sapphire tumbled over herself in the air, breath knocked from her lungs as she collided with the castle. She gasped, a hand darting to her side. While it had been almost three weeks since the whole minotaur fiasco, no one could deny that the injuries she had sustained then continued to twinge at the most inopportune times. Now was one such moment, a consequence of the ribs that had cracked and were still healing. She pushed it aside, instead watching in horror as Stormy of the Trix managed to capture the magical artefact in a tornado.

"Wind!" Sapphire called, throwing her hands out before her. She concentrated on tearing Stormy's tornado apart, both of their magical sources similar in nature. It meant she could find the thread that kept Stormy's together, but the witch had more practice than she. Even as she watched, her hold on the tornado crumbled into little electrical sparks. A soft groan as she watched the Trix reclaim their prize, slumping to the roof below her as the three witches disappeared in a flash of lightning.

They were gone. Barely a second had passed and they were gone, the storm dying away now their makers were far away. And though they fought through the accursed magic on her friends, they had lost yet another important magical artefact to this Lord Darkar person. All that remained of this particular battle was six friends converging on where Sapphire was, the Winx enemies of each other until united against her. Just her luck.

"I knew Cloud Tower was a bad idea," Sapphire sighed, letting her magical transformation fade away. How they continuously ended up in messes like this one was knowledge not afforded to her, but she was tired of it.

 **. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Sapphire hesitated outside the dorm they had been given while on exchange. It had been a full day since they lost to the Trix now, and Mirta had assured her that the spell that had been cast on her friends should have dissipated by now. Still, she hesitated. Not a single one of them had been pleasant the day before, and the idea of facing that again was far from ideal. Heck, she'd spent the rest of the day after that battle with the Trix soaked through from the rain and hiding from her friends. A good portion of that time was spent in Headmistress Griffin's office apologising for the damage and failing to protect the artefact.

While her intention was to apologise, Sapphire left with a greater understanding of what was going on. The artefact they had been fighting to protect was called a codex, of which there were four pieces to it in existence. According to Griffin and the pixie of the school, when all four pieces were reunited they would form a magical gateway to another realm of which some great evil could arise from. The positive was that there were four pieces. The negative was the Trix had stolen Cloud Tower's, as well as the codex previously hidden at Red Fountain meaning they were halfway there. Just hearing about it caused a headache, and made their failure that much worse to stomach.

So Sapphire had excused herself, spending the remainder of the day wandering the school, and the night sleeping in the corridor. She had done all she could to hide from her friends. Now she just had to face them, to see if the magic had really been dispelled or if she was to remain among people who hated her.

Almost subconsciously one hand twisted to touch the scar at the nape of her neck, a reminder that many people hated her, thirsted for her blood, and that she was stronger for it. She was stronger fighting alone, at least that's what she had been told. Being alone also protected others, that being the reason she had pushed her little sister away for so long, after all. Even without the winx to call her friends, she would survive and fight on, in two wars if she must depending on what evil Lord Darkar could raise from the stolen codex.

She swallowed, hand raising before the door with trepidation. It shook slightly, uncertain as she hovered indecisively. A deep breath, holding it as three loud raps echoed through the hallway. Her eyes were squeezed shut, a quiet prayer whispering through her mind, a wish given voice in a whisper.

"Please…"

* * *

"Please tell me we've finally worked it out," Nico said, the boy fallen across the bed as he looked up to where Will was writing on a large sheet of paper. "I want to go home to Earth."

"Maybe, but it doesn't make much sense," Will smiled as he tapped his pen against the paper, though his brow was creased. "It's definitely not any of the witches here, and only one of the girls who came from Alfea could actually fit the typical criteria as being one of Zeus's offspring."

"Why are we even looking for his offspring, isn't that the job of a satyr?" Nico groaned, pulling a pillow over his head. "What makes this kid so special anyway?"

"Well being a fairy is pretty special," Will hummed as he sat beside his boyfriend, a hand coming up to rub his back soothingly. He couldn't help it, Nico was so very cute when unhappy. It was strange that the darker interior of Cloud Tower wasn't making him happier, it was a definite break from the brightness of everywhere else they had visited so far. "However, if it's who I think it is then this fairy is also a princess. And not just any princess, but Istea's princess."

"That planet we're all fighting on?" Nico perked up, looking up from under the pillow. "Can't be, they hate us."

"Well it fits. It was the Istean Queen that came to us on behalf of Magix to renew the treaty. Though it was renewed quickly, the Queen stayed longer than originally planned. No one knows why, but she was put under guard until her eventual escape. Not long after that this war started between Earth and Istea, but not the rest of the Magix dimension," Will explained, continuing with equal measures of exasperation and teasing. "Didn't you listen to Chiron or Annabeth's history lectures?"

"No, I slept through them," Nico groaned again. "I thought being a demigod and living through said history meant I didn't need to go to school and learn boring things like that. Just tell me what you're thinking, Will, I'm too tired to do it for you."

"You know that your time trapped in the Lotus Hotel doesn't count, right?" Nico dismissed his question with a wave. "Okay, well you know what the Gods are like. What if Zeus slept with the Queen while she was visiting, and from it yet another child of his was born?"

"That," Nico growled as he sat up, only to pause as he actually thought over what his boyfriend had said. "That actually makes a lot of sense. So who's the girl we're kidnapping?"

"That's where it becomes difficult," Will grimaced. "It's Sapphire, that dark haired girl who threatened to kill us more than once."

"Oh, that is a problem."

Both boys fell silent, thinking over the new issue they faced. Typically a newly discovered demigod was happy to go to camp and escape the monsters. Typically that demigod was also found on Earth and not in another dimension with a whole different set of powers to contend with. Typically a newly discovered demigod was also not in the midst of an ongoing battle against them for, if the theory was correct, that very newly discovered demigod. It was indeed a conundrum, and that was if they were being polite.

"Well," Nico said brightly, "at least it won't be so boring. Fighting we can do, so let's go kidnap a demigod fairy princess."

"Nico, no."

"Nico yes."

* * *

 **Oh wow, an update that wasn't after a stupid long amount of time. As much as I love writing when I have the time for it, I don't get that time as much as I would like. If all goes well you will at least get two more chapters before the end of this year, but we'll see.**

 **_ Again, thanks to everyone who returned to this little story. I know it's not good and I'm unreliable, but I appreciate all of you. For some reason you take time to read it (and some of you to favourite/follow/review), and time is a precious thing. Thank you for spending some of your time on me.**

Published **::** 14 July, 2019  
Word Count **::** 2671

 **RaaJen.**


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